Sponsorship 101 -- from a child sponsor

World Vision’s child sponsorship program has been part of my life for nearly two decades. My dad started working at World Vision when I was 9 years old. I’ve worked here for nearly five years now, and my husband and I sponsor three children of our own.

We love getting letters, drawings, photos, and progress reports from the children in our global family. And we love sending them cards, pictures, small packages, and the occasional extra gift.

But even as a staff person and a longtime child sponsor, I’ve still asked myself: What does sponsorship actually do? How does it actually work?

In putting this blog post together, I’ve learned that, in a nutshell, sponsorship connects you with a child in need and empowers the child’s community to become healthy, safe, and self-reliant, breaking the cycle of poverty.

It’s not a handout. It’s more like a hand up. By helping to provide access to life essentials, we, as sponsors, don’t just “give away” our money and cross our fingers. We actually help World Vision in giving the entire community of our sponsored child a “boost” up and out of poverty.

In order for children to experience life in all its fullness, they must have reliable access to all of the essentials for life: clean water, a secure source of food, healthcare, education, etc. That’s why World Vision takes an integrated approach to helping our sponsored children’s communities become whole, because each piece of this puzzle intertwines with the others.

Clean water: This is often where our work starts. Simply providing access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene can cut a community’s child death rate by more than half.

Food security: We help farming families learn better crop cultivation and food storage techniques, provide essentials like seeds and tools, and distribute food aid to help make sure that children get the nutrition they need.

Health care: We help to make basic health care accessible by stocking health clinic shelves with medicine, training parents and health workers to treat illness, and coordinating HIV-prevention education and care for those affected by HIV and AIDS.

Education: When children are educated, they have the opportunity as adults to earn better wages, raise healthier, educated children of their own, and have a voice in their community. This is done by equipping classrooms, training teachers, and providing learning supplies to help children reach their God-given potential.

Economic opportunity: Small loans and business training help parents start or grow businesses so they can provide for their children, while creating new jobs in their community. World Vision microloans have helped to create or sustain millions of jobs worldwide.

Spiritual nurture: We serve those in need because we’ve been inspired by our faith, and by the example Jesus set for us. Every day, children can see God’s love through the care provided by our staff. Where appropriate, we partner with local churches to provide support and training.

Knowing that the whole goal of sponsorship is to help a child’s community become self-reliant makes the experience bittersweet when my sponsored child’s community “graduates” from needing World Vision’s assistance.

I want my sponsored children to be prosperous so that they can turn around and help their neighbors. It’s the ripple effect of sponsorship and the type of community development World Vision nurtures wherever we go, and I love being a part of it.

The many letters and photos Rachael and her husband Paul (pictured top left) have received from their three sponsored children. Photo courtesy of Rachael Dill Boyer.

Comments

I admit that I cannot wait to recieve a welcome kit in the mail! It's so neat that we get to bless them financially and they get to bless us by sending us pictures and letters; letting us be a part of their life. :)

To world Vision org, just want to let you know that we guys are doing a extrealy a great job around haiti area , at this morment I would like to share a message to you , we have a community school around Canaran zone bon repo croix des bouquets its about to close @ this Morment due of the founder can't aford to paid the teatchers like 250 beautiful kids will be on the street with out school,here our contact info for registration Navo organization 561 5942329 haiti 50938803477 ,38319048 ,email. info@Navorganization.org,navofondation@gmail.com, Thanks may god bless you all ?

Should I be concerned after sponsoring a child for months now and not hearing one thing back? Lots of other sponsors seem to get stuff back like letters and pics. I don't want to pressure the student to do anything he can't or doesn't want to do. So what should I do? If nothing, so be it. I am just wondering and concerned for him. I realize he has a tough life so really nothing back from him is ok. I just want to hear from someone, that my sponsorship is having some positive impact in his life.

Good morning, Lynn. Sponsors can have varying experiences in receiving letters and pictures from their sponsored child. Often it depends on the communications team in your sponsored child's ADP. Sometimes communications teams can be very big and other times, they can be very small which can limit how often you hear from your sponsored child. I would suggest that you give our Donor Contact Services a call... they can put in a request to find out why you have not heard from your sponsored child. The number is
1-800-777-5777. Many blessings.

I am thrilled to be sponsoring Alex &lt;3 I really truly believe God has led me to him and his family and I will hold him in God&#039;s beautiful light knowing Alex is pure love - World Vision is a blessing to everyone :)